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 Politics / Ortom: I Would Have Taken Up Arms Against Fulani Herdsmen If Not For God by Shehuyinka: 7:20am On Aug 30, 2022 |
BENUE State Governor Samuel Ortom has reacted to the charges brought against him at the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN). https://www.icirnigeria.org/if-i-was-not-a-child-of-god-i-would-have-taken-up-arms-against-fulani-herdsmen-ortom/ 25 Likes 3 Shares
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| Politics / Nigeria Will Miss Buhari After He Leaves Office - Miyetti Allah by Shehuyinka: 5:04pm On Aug 28, 2022 |
The National Secretary of a Fulani socio-cultural organisation, the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Saleh Alhassan, has said Nigerians would miss President Muhammadu Buhari when he leaves office, irrespective of the security challenges the country is experiencing. Alhassan said this in an exclusive interview with The ICIR in Keffi Nasarawa State. According to him, Buhari had done his best, claiming that since the late Ahmadu Bello, the North had never produced a personality interested in the country’s development and p development like Buhari. He said, “Suppose you look at how he has given all attention needed to the security agencies to fight insurgency. That is why today, you see Boko Haram has been reduced to the fringes because he has provided the necessary weaponry to our security forces. He has given them a free hand to operate, reach out, and create collaborations with our neighbouring countries. “Yes, we have not gotten much for the livestock sector because, unfortunately, the National Livestock Transformation Plan, which has been under the office of the Vice-President, is being superintended by a Special Assistant, who is not a Fulani man who does not know anything about livestock. We believe that is what is responsible for the slow implementation of the policies we have in the livestock sector.” READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/nigeria-will-miss-buhari-after-he-leaves-office-miyetti-allah/
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| Politics / Five Times Obi Quoted Wrong Figures In Public by Shehuyinka: 3:53pm On Aug 28, 2022 |
PETER Obi, a former Governor of Anambra state and Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate for Nigeria’s 2023 elections, had early this August engaged in a war of words with his counterpart from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over counter-accusations of spreading fake news and maligning his candidacy. Tinubu Campaign Organisation, in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, had called on Obi to rein in his supporters, who it accused of spreading fake news about its candidate. But in a reaction, Obi absolved his supporters of spreading misinformation online, saying that the vitriol of ‘fake news’ attributed to ‘Obidient’ supporters is actually the handiwork of the opposition. As we approach the official kick-off of the 2023 election campaign, it has become evident that the opposition have adopted a negative strategy of trolling and insinuating fake news and misinformation in the social media space and blaming the Labour Party, its presidential candidate and their supporters of same,” Obi said in a Twitter thread he posted via his verified handle @PeterObi on August 18, 2022. The Labour candidate is popular for quoting facts and figures while speaking about challenges facing Nigeria, alongside his plans and policy for the country if elected. However, when some of these claims were subjected to verification, quite a good number of them have been found to be inaccurate. In this recap, The FactCheckHub highlights five times that Obi quoted misleading facts and figures. 1. Claim about the number of Nigerian players at NBA Responding to questions on a Channels Television programme, “Politics Today” aired on July 25, 2022, Obi claimed that out of 150 players playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA), almost 100 are Nigerians. Obi said: “…proud, celebrating their talent. And this is what we have everywhere. If you go into American NBA, out of 150 players, almost 100 are Nigerians. These youths are so talented that they are where you need to focus to reach their talent and productive energy to turn around the country…”. But fact-checks by the AFP and Daily Trust show that the claim is FALSE. Founded in 1946, the NBA is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. It is the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. According to NBA, about 109 international players registered for the league’s 2021-2022 season, and only five are from Nigeria. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/five-times-obi-quoted-wrong-figures-in-public/
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| Politics / Cut Off From Ancestors, FCT Indigenes Want Compensation For Desecrated Graves by Shehuyinka: 7:06pm On Aug 27, 2022 |
OFFICIALLY, it is known as Apo Hill. But for the indigenous community whose forefathers lived in the area before the creation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) - the Gbagyis of Garki Chiefdom - it is Garki Hill. And, for the natives, amidst other rocky hills that dot the landscape of the FCT, Garki Hill sticks out like a painful sore thumb. And the pain will not go away. A frown appeared on the Palace Secretary, Lazarus Nyaholo's face as he glanced in the direction of Garki Hill, looming in the background, during an interview with The ICIR at the palace of the Sa'peyi - the Chief of Garki. For the people of Garki Chiefdom, one of the major communities of original inhabitants in the FCT, the Garki Hill is not only a cultural and spiritual heritage, but the wide, expansive hill also spotlights the marginalisation and deprivation that had been the lot of the original-inhabitant population of Abuja, Nigeria's capital territory. Over the years Garki Hill served as a final resting place for Garki chiefs - according to the natives, 16 Sa'peyis were buried on the hill. Also, in previous times, they took their children up the mountain during some major cultural events. The hill was a pilgrimage site for the natives. But things are no longer the same. Over the years Garki Hill served as a final resting place for Garki chiefs - according to the natives, 16 Sa'peyis were buried on the hill. Separated from the roots Nyaholo, palace secretary of the Garki Chiefdom, explained how the fortunes of the hill and the Garki indigenous community took a different turn following an action taken by the Nigerian government through the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (MFCTA), the ministry that oversees the FCT. "Garki Chiefdom has had 17 chiefs out of which 16 were buried on that (Garki) hill. Annually we used to have some cultural events during which we take our young ones up the hill and tell them the history of the community. The hill is our cultural heritage. It is the abode of our ancestors because 16 kings are buried on top of that hill. Even as we speak when a king dies we will do ceremonies and take his body to the top of that hill for burial. But because the part of the hill from where we used to have access to the top of the hill has been allocated to Hot FM (a radio station) to mount its transmission equipment, we no longer have access to the hill. We can no longer climb up there because that area has been blocked by Hot FM," Nyaholo said. The indigenous people were not consulted before the allocation was made. That is the case in all land allocations made by the FCT authorities, in line with the law which recognises the territory as 'no man's land'. "We only noticed that construction work was going on on the hill and when we asked we were told that the government allocated the place to the radio station," Nyaholo added. The indigenes protested. It was an exercise in futility. It is bad enough for the natives that the presence of Hot FM has made it impossible to access the hill. The situation is made more unbearable by the activities of the radio station. "If you listen to Hot FM they will say they are broadcasting from Apo Hill because that hill happened to fall within the FCT demarcation of Apo District. But in actual fact it is not Apo Hill, it is Garki Hill," the palace scribe said, "Our heritage is being buried." It is against the backdrop of the situation with Garki Hill that the FCT original inhabitants are now demanding compensation from the government and individual developers for the 'desecration and destruction of their heritage. Shuaibu Espata, District Head of Ake community in Kuje Chiefdom, under the Kuje Area Council of the FCT, in an interview with The ICIR, said the natives are asking for compensation for the desecration and destruction of the graves of their forefathers and other departed family members when they are forced to vacate their ancestral lands to make room for development of the FCT. "We are relocated from our ancestral lands, leaving the graves of our forefathers and family members behind and they will now be destroyed. The desecration and destruction of our graves is a big issue which deserves huge compensation but they don't pay any compensation for that. They don't consider the heritage that is destroyed," Espata said. Serah Tukurah, an indigenous advocate, said the government should have taken note of "heritage sites" of original inhabitants in the conception of the FCT. The sites, if properly managed, could have served as tourist sites, attracting revenue for the government. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/cut-off-from-ancestors-fct-indigenes-want-compensation-for-desecrated-graves/
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| Business / Why FG Revoked Licences Of AIT, Silverbird, 50 Other Broadcast Stations by Shehuyinka: 6:09pm On Aug 19, 2022 |
THE National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has explained why it revoked the licences of African Independent Television (AIT), Silverbird Television and 50 other broadcast stations across the country. NBC Director General Balarabe Shehu, who announced the development in a statement on Friday, said it was due to the failure of the affected stations to renew their broadcast licences amounting to N2.66 billion. According to the Commission, a two-week waiver was given to them in May to do so after which they risked the revocation of their licences. But three months after the publication, the NBC said some licensees are yet to pay their outstanding debts, in contravention of the National Broadcasting Commission Act CAP N11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, particularly Section 10(a) of the Third Schedule of the Act. “Therefore, after due consideration, NBC hereby announces the revocation of the licenses of the stations and gives them 24 hours to shut down their operations. Our offices nationwide are hereby directed to collaborate with security agencies to ensure immediate compliance,” the statement said. The broadcast regulator said the continued operation of the “debtor stations is illegal and constitutes a threat to national security”. It called on other broadcast stations yet to renew their licences for the present duration to do so within the next 30 days or risk punishment. The NBC said Friday’s list is the first batch of offenders, adding that a second batch will soon be released. “The Commission also calls on all IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) and all other broadcast stations that are streaming online to register with the Commission to avoid disconnection. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/why-fg-revoked-licences-of-ait-silverbird-50-other-broadcast-stations/
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| Business / EXPLAINER: Understanding The Concept Of Airlines’ Trapped Funds by Shehuyinka: 5:55pm On Aug 17, 2022 |
TWO months ago, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) accused the Nigerian government of preventing foreign airlines from repatriating the sum of $450 million (about N188.6 billion) they had earned from ticket sales to their respective countries. IATA’s Regional Vice President, Africa & Middle East, Kamil Al-Alawadhi, made this known on Sunday, June 19, 2022 during a press briefing, against the backdrop of the opening of its 78th Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Doha, Qatar. Al-Alawadhi said, “We heard that there is a shortage of dollars. It has been a hectic ride. We met with the Vice-President. We will keep checking. This is going to damage the image of the country. We are hoping that it will go down well. The figure is huge.” The IATA Regional Vice President disclosed that some 20 countries worldwide had blocked airline funds totalling about $1 billion. Of the money, more than $700 million was tied up in 11 African countries, with Nigeria accounting for the largest amount withheld by any African nation. One month after, on July 30, 2022, Emirates Airlines reduced the number of its weekly flights from Dubai to Lagos from 11 to seven due to issues of repatriation of its funds. In a letter addressed to the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, Emirates stated it had been attempting to repatriate the sum of $85 million it alleged was stuck in Nigeria. “As of July 2022, Emirates has $85m of funds awaiting repatriation from Nigeria. This figure has been rising by more than $10 million every month as the ongoing operational costs of our 11 weekly flights to Lagos and 5 to Abuja continue to accumulate,” the letter read in part. It said the blocked funds were beginning to affect the carrier’s operating costs, as well as its commercial viability, adding it could not continue to accumulate losses in the face of the challenging coronavirus pandemic. The issue of airlines’ blocked funds has become a phenomenon in the Nigerian aviation industry, in addition to issues like aviation fuel and issuance of foreign exchange to transact businesses. Already, Air Peace has suspended flight operations from Nigeria to Johannesburg, effective August 22, 2022, citing delayed issuance of South African visas to travellers. Worsening forex crunch and aviation fuel scarcity were adduced as reasons behind the decision. What is a blocked fund? A google search describes a blocked fund as any amount realized from foreign operations but is blocked based on regulations imposed by the government of that country. However, a simple definition is given by the President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Susan Akporiaye, as money owed to airlines on credit. Akporiaye said, “In layman terms, the airlines are selling but are not getting their money. The airlines’ money should be given to them in dollars and not in naira since they are foreign organisations. The Central Bank and the banks are meant to give them their money in dollars. “It is like buying from my hand on credit and refusing to pay me. If the agreement we have is that you should pay me by month end but I get no payment. Then by the fourth month, you pay me for the first month and leave the other three.” READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/explainer-understanding-the-concept-of-airlines-trapped-funds/
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| Crime / Residents panic as terrorists, bandits move into FCT by Shehuyinka: 5:46pm On Aug 17, 2022 |
FOLLOWING a series of attacks by terrorists and bandits within Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), security concerns have heightened, and residents now live in apprehension. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3uivzCjkRA Many have expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s response to the security concerns. They described the government’s reaction as sluggish. Speaking with The ICIR, a resident of the Lugbe area of the FCT, George Awo, said he had lost faith in the government’s ability to deal with the situation in the city. “The FCT is being taken over by terrorists, and it is quite a sad thing to watch. It feels like the government cannot handle this anymore. It’s such a shame that they could even threaten to abduct the President. How then should we, the ordinary citizens, feel?” he asked. For Chizoba Anam, who works in a hairdressing saloon within the city centre and resides in Kubwa, a satellite town, the rising spate of insecurity resulted from government’s lack of interest in the welfare of the citizens. “This government does not care about us. With these threats of kidnaping and terrorism going around, there is still nothing to show that the government cares or has the situation under control. People are dying everyday because of this same issue, yet there is nothing to show that the government is trying to address it,” she said. In recent times, terrorists and bandits have launched a series of attacks within the FCT, including a jailbreak at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre on July 5. More than 800 inmates escaped during the incident, including over 60 suspected terrorists remanded in the facility. Though the police and other security agencies have recaptured some escapees, many others are yet to be apprehended. A terrorist group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for the attack, which left at least five people dead. Three weeks after the jailbreak, gunmen suspected to be bandits killed eight soldiers of the Presidential Guards Brigade, who were on a patrol in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT. The soldiers had been drafted to the area following a distress call from the management of the Nigerian Law School, situated in the area council. According to the management, terrorists had dropped a letter threatening an attack on the institution. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/residents-panic-as-terrorists-bandits-move-into-fct/
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| Health / [ANALYSIS] Mapping The Spread Of Monkeypox by Shehuyinka: 12:54pm On Aug 12, 2022 |
Following spikes in cases worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States have declared monkeypox a public health emergency. The US government declaration came barely two weeks days after WHO described monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern. The US which has detected more than 8,900 cases as of August 9, described the declaration as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive strategy to combat the monkeypox outbreak. At least 31,800 confirmed cases have been reported from 90 countries and territories since the start of 2022. In 2022, the first case was found on May 6, in the United Kingdom in a person with travel ties to Nigeria, which is where the initial cluster of cases was found. Since its discovery in Central and West Africa, monkeypox has never before spread so widely elsewhere. The virus does not fall under the category of a sexually transmitted infection. However, a research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicated that sex, particularly sex between men, was the mode of transmission for 95 per cent of cases of monkeypox. Europe has recorded the most cases among all continents. While infections continue to spiral, mortality has been very low. The disease has killed more than five globally this year. What is Monkeypox? Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, Monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health. Monkeypox primarily occurs in central and west Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and has been increasingly appearing in urban areas. Animal hosts include a range of rodents and non-human primates. The recent outbreak has seen eleven countries in Africa reporting cases. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/analysis-mapping-the-spread-of-monkeypox/
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| Music/Radio / INDEPTH: Seven Nigerian Artistes That Turned Up Late For Their Shows by Shehuyinka: 2:52pm On Aug 11, 2022 |
THE lackadaisical attitude of Nigerian artistes in honouring contracts to perform at live shows has become a matter of serious debate globally. The trending issue of Daniel Oluwatobiloba Anidugbe, stage name Kizz Daniel, has once again brought such an attitude to the fore. The police in Tanzania had arrested Kizz Daniel, whose hit song, Buga, has been ruling the airwaves, for failing to perform in the country on Sunday, August 7, 2022 at a show for which he had been paid. The promoter of the concert, Steven Uwah, a Nigerian based in Turkey, claimed he had paid Kizz Daniel $60,000 for the show. Lamenting on an Instagram live session of Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze, on Monday night, Uwah said he had spent heavily on organising the show, and fans had bought tickets and tables as high as $2000 to $10,000 to grace it. The artiste actually flew in on time for the show but refused to perform allegedly because the airline that brought him did not bring his luggage, which included a bag in which was a particular gold chain he maintained he must wear on stage while performing. Uwah said, “Kizz Daniel said the airline didn’t bring his luggage and that he had his gold chain there. He had one gold chain on his neck but he wanted everything. Harmonize (the stylist) came with different clothes but Kizz Daniel wouldn’t budge. I spent nothing less than $300,000 on that show. The highest table was $10,000. “I paid this guy $60,000 to perform on my show. I had an event app that I wanted to launch with Kizz Daniel. I begged this guy to save my life and career, but he insisted he would not perform without the gold chain.” An expensive show marred by losses. Uwah was all agony telling Daddy Freeze how he was swimming in losses after irate fans damaged items in Tanzania. He said, “The whole venue was damaged. The fridge from Pepsi was destroyed. Martel also gave us a lot for this sponsorship. I didn’t owe him (Kizz Daniel), I brought three designers. I tried to save the situation.” Uwah said the show had some Tanzania bigwigs in attendance, adding that the country had hoped to host the singer three days more if the event was successful. “He has to pay damages and perform free for the country and leave. My reputation is at stake; nobody has ever done this to me. Why are you coming here after paying you big money, only to destroy my reputation? “He has nothing to say and he was only begging that we should do the show on Monday night, but that is a work day, no one would show up. We need to do a free show to gain our reputation back,” the promoter concluded. Disappointing fans a fashion with Nigerian artistes? Nigerian artistes seem to delight in disappointing their fans at concerts. In August 2019, Kizz Daniel had been caught in a similar hole when he insisted he would not perform at a concert in Montreal, Canada, saying the organisers reneged on paying him in full ahead of the show. And just last month, on July 7, 2022, he had arrived late at a show at Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, keeping fans waiting for four hours. He later arrived on stage and gave a 20-minute performance, which infuriated the crowd. In a trending video, the fans were seen screaming for a refund, throwing cups, tissues and other objects at the singer as he performed some of his songs. The Buga crooner would later go on to apologize to the crowd in a lengthy Instagram post. His excuse was that his passport was withheld at the US consulate in Nigeria until the day of the show, which caused his previously booked flights to be cancelled. He wrote, “DMV, thank you for showing up last night and sincere apologies for all that happened. For some reasons, my passport was withheld at the US Consulate in Nigeria until the day of the show and previously booked flights had to be cancelled. Same reason I rescheduled the New York show. “Just for the love and respect I have for you and my craft, I got on the next available flight to New York the second I had my passport thinking I could still make it cuz I just don’t want to cancel another date. I booked a PJ to DMV from New York to make the journey faster but, unfortunately, it didn’t work. “I went straight to the venue from the airport. We could have moved the show but my team and I believed we could meet up. The performance would have been longer also if the venue had allowed.” READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/indepth-seven-nigerian-artistes-that-turned-up-late-for-their-shows/
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| Crime / Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital Hid Details Of N3.07BN COVID Awarded Contracts by Shehuyinka: 2:21pm On Aug 11, 2022 |
ON May 30, The ICIR wrote to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to request details of money released to support the Federal Teaching Hospitals in the country as part of COVID-19 interventions during the pandemic. The move was to establish the exact sum earmarked for each teaching hospital in the country and if the money was used for its purpose and in alignment with the Public Procurement Act (2007). The procurement guideline was put together by the Federal Government to prevent corruption in contract awards following a world bank assessment report that the country was losing an average of $10 billion annually due to contract inflations and other procurement illegalities. Earlier findings by The ICIR showed some agencies of government embarked on fraudulent COVID-19-related procurements during the pandemic, flouting the procurement law. The case of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) awarding N202 million contracts without a procurement plan was among the infractions reported here. Another contract reportedly offered to a non-existent company was exposed. N853 million flawed contract at the Jos University Teaching Hospital was made public here, and another N244.6 million was exposed here. Nevertheless, the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC) is not left out because the management has not been transparent in their public spending. It provided little or no information on its awarded contracts, as found via the National Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO) platform created by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to showcase details of awarded contracts during the pandemic. A check on the BPP’s NOCOPO shows that only four contracts were awarded and executed by OAUTHC, but this was contrary to The ICIR findings. The four listed contract awards include the supply of AVL 9180 electrolyte analyser awarded at N1.2 million; the procurement of hand sanitisers offered to Nickteck Medical Nigeria Limited for N1.17 million; the procurement of hospital mattresses for the isolation wards awarded to Mogbonju Nigeria limited at N350, 000 and the fourth is for molecular laboratory equipment. Public records revealed that all the above contracts were funded through the hospital’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), except for the fourth project, molecular laboratory equipment solely sourced from the COVID-19 intervention. It was awarded to JNCI Turnkey Medical Equipment Services at N21.16 million. The institution has another construction of the molecular laboratory (pictured below) awarded to Rot-Kay and Associates Limited, which never made it to the BPP portal. This is a violation of the BPP guidelines, which mandate all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to upload their procurement plan on NOCOPO. Thus, establishing the contract sum and other details surrounding the awarded job was difficult. “All Procuring Entities are to prepare Procurement Plans for all projects that specifically respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. These Plans should be uploaded into the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO), where it will be accessed by the BPP,” it reads. As part of the investigation process, on Tuesday, April 19, The ICIR wrote to the OAUTHC. The letter was to inform the hospital of the reporter’s planned visit to verify all projects awarded during the pandemic. The letter was acknowledged the same day with a promise to revert, but they never did. Ten days after, on Friday, April 29, The ICIR sent a reminder. Still no feedback. Thus, on Wednesday, May 4, the reporter sets out on the investigation. Findings would later reveal the OAUTHC received funds to execute over four other projects but failed to make public the procurements. Efforts to get the Acting Chief Medical Director, Owojuyigbe Afolabi, a medical doctor, speak on the fund’s disbursements and its utilisation failed. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, May 4, he earlier agreed to comment on the awarded contracts but rescheduled the appointment for the next day, May 5. Before 10 a.m. on the appointment day, the reporter was already seated waiting. He sighted this reporter but later decided not to grant the request. He said he had no authority to speak on the projects and the allocated sums. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/how-obafemi-awolowo-teaching-hospital-hid-details-of-n3-07-billion-covid-19-awarded-contracts/
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| Crime / Five Terrorist Groups Are Operating In Northern Nigeria – Shehu Sani by Shehuyinka: 10:32am On Aug 07, 2022 |
FORMER Senator representing Kaduna Senatorial District Shehu Sani has said not less than five notable terrorist groups are currently operating in northern Nigeria, despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s pledge to end insecurity. Sani, who was a governorship aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The ICIR in Kaduna. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtO2A-6XilQ He noted that insecurity has worsened under Buhari’s administration. According to him, despite the promise made by the President to end insecurity, the northern states are being ravaged by different terror groups. “What we need to understand is that the terrorists operating in the north-western part of Nigeria are not of a single organisation with a leader, they are diverse. We have the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the Boko Haram, the Darul Islam, the Ansaru and the bandits. “At least there are five notable terror groups operating in northern part of Nigeria. Now, the bandits also have different leaders located in different states, you have their leaders like Bello Turji, like Manjagara, like Baleri, and they have mapped out territories for themselves between Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states,” Sani said. He added that the bandits sometimes clash with other terror groups over territories. Speaking on the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train, Shehu Sani told The ICIR that the train was first attacked in October 2021. According to him, a terror group attacked the train by planting an improvised explosive device (IED) on the rail but luckily the train was not derailed when it ran over it. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/five-terrorist-groups-are-operating-in-northern-nigeria-shehu-sani/
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| Politics / INTERVIEW: President Muhammadu Buhari Has Failed – Shehu Sani by Shehuyinka: 10:58am On Aug 06, 2022 |
Shehu Sani is a Nigerian senator who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in this exclusive interview with The ICIR, Sani who is also a human rights activist, shared insights into the nefarious activities of bandits and terrorists while expressing worry on the state of insecurity under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch. The ICIR: What do you make of a recently released video of terrorists making threat against the president and the governor of Kaduna state? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtO2A-6XilQ Shehu Sani: Well, what we need to understand is that the terror groups operating in the northwestern part of Nigeria are not a single organisation with a leader. They are diverse. We have the ISWAP, the Boko Haram, the Darul Islam, the Ansaru, and the bandits. At least five notable terror groups are operating in the northern part of Nigeria. Now, the bandits also have different leaders located in different states. You have their leaders like Bello Turji, like Manjagara, like Baleri, now these are leaders that map out territories for themselves between Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states. So, sometimes the bandits and the terror groups clash within themselves, so you can see how they occupy territories and unleash their terror activities. What has happened as of the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train started from sometime last October. I happened to be a passenger on the train at that time, and I raised an alarm that the train was attacked. At that time, what they did was to plant an improvised explosive device (IED), and the train ran over it, but luckily for us, the train did not stop. So, I raised the alarm and since then, there was no action taken on the side of the government, only saying that they have restored the track, but as of taking security measures to ensure the safety of passengers, there was virtually nothing. So the threats you are seeing have evolved over the years. At a time, they only attacked passengers who were plying the Abuja-Kaduna road or the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road or the Zaria-Funtua road, or the ones in Zamfara state or Katsina state but having seen that, many of the VIPs have decided to use the airlines, so they are only dealing with people whom they are not going to get much from them. So now they moved away or not away completely from attacking passengers on the road to now launching direct attacks on towns and cities. In terms of Kaduna, almost all the settlements on the outskirts of the city are constantly under direct attack by bandits and terrorists. They also evolved to a point where they imposed fines and taxes on villages. At a certain point in Birnin Gwari local government, villagers have to gather as much as N40 million to give to these terrorists for them to be able to go to their farms and plant their crops and also they have to pay the same amount to harvest their crops. They have succeeded in impoverishing a large number of our population apart from destroying smaller villages within the expanse of Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states. What they did now was also to impoverish those that remained because constantly, people kept on selling their homes and their lands to pay ransom to these terrorists. Another unfortunate development is that people living in those rural locations are more in tune with the terrorist groups because some are direct beneficiaries of part of the ransom, and some are also doing it out of fear for their lives. I can say that Nigeria is at war with terror groups and insurgents, and bandits. We must find solutions to these because apart from our own homegrown terror groups, it appears that the terror groups are also inviting other fighters and terrorists from other parts of West Africa and Central Africa to come into Nigeria. And because there is a systemic failure on the side of the government, they are becoming more audacious. They sometimes even write letters to villages to announce to them that they are coming and they will come the same day, and ironically they come in and operate for an hour or two before you see the intervention of security agencies, so people thought that Abuja is a well-protected city, it is an oasis of peace, but with the fact that Niger, Kaduna, Nasarawa and parts of Kogi state are unsafe, naturally they would be a contagious effect of insecurity inside Abuja, and this is what we are seeing now. The ICIR: Now, I will link this question now to what Sheik Gumi said in the exclusive we had with him earlier. He said President Buhari is stubborn, and he knows what the bandits actually want, but he has refused to attend to their demands. What is your thought? Shehu Sani: Well, first of all, a terrorist is a terrorist, and there are two types of terrorist. A terrorist who has picked up arms to kill and kidnap because he wants to establish an Islamic state, nothing will appease him if not an Islamic state, a terrorist who has picked up arms to fight because he wants to collect hundreds of millions of naira as ransom, nothing will appease other than if you give him the kind of money he will get when he picks up arms. So, I am not an advocate of acceding to terrorists’ demands as long as it is outrageous. Any terrorist who wants to lay down his arms, live in a decent society, and start a small business is different from a terrorist who wants to dictate to our nation-state. You cannot kill and kidnap people and use it in the name of Islam or any religion it’s not acceptable. They said they are fighting Islamic causes; you rape women, kidnap children, you extort hundreds of millions of naira as ransom, and you kill innocent people. What kind of religion are you professing? What kind of society? Which religion? Certainly, it is not Islam. So, acceding to the demands of terrorists if it is about them dropping their arms and coming to live in a society it’s a different thing, but we cannot be giving hundreds of millions of naira to terrorists for them to go and purchase arms and continue to fight our country. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/exclusive-interview-president-muhammadu-buhari-has-failed-shehu-sani/
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| Politics / INTERVIEW: The Problem Buhari Has Is That He Doesn’t Listen – Gumi by Shehuyinka: 2:43pm On Aug 05, 2022 |
The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR) spoke exclusively with Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi in Kaduna, where he spoke about the recent spate of insecurity in Nigeria, ranging from Boko haram terrorists, Abuja-Kaduna train abduction, attack on Kuje prison, recent threat video by terrorists and how he thinks the government can stem the tide of terror attacks in the country. The ICIR: What is your comment on the now-viral video of the Kaduna-Abuja train attack terrorists torturing the kidnap victims? Gumi: There was a lady who was pregnant and they let her go to deliver and they kept her husband trying to show that they are civilised and trying to show that they are not fighting society but fighting the government. Then they negotiated for the release of their children. We are surprised that no matter how criminal a person would be what he is concerned about is underage children. That shows that there’s something underneath their agitations. Their children were released for a number of victims. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr6Kqbv0xcw Then they requested a list of other prisoners who are still under detention. There was a stalemate, and they attacked the prison because they have intelligence. They budgeted huge amount of money for every victim. For the first set group of victims, we were able to pay their money and they were released. There was a lady from Lagos, she was able to pay her money and she was released. Then another group, they were ready to pay for their relatives but they were prevented by the security. That prevention is what provoked them to attack the male victims. The ICIR: In the light of a threat issued against the president and the governor of Kaduna state, what do you make of it? Gumi: I have been there meeting with bandits, trying to show them, educate them because they are not educated. Where do you want them to get their morals ? Where do you want them to get their education and direction? Who is there to tell them what to do? Nobody! They are all uneducated and the offence society has done is to leave such a number of people uneducated without education, without budgetary concern for their education, their health, what they are doing, and what they are thinking. Nobody is concerned about them. This is negligence. So, we talked about it, and I spoke with them. We didn’t get a listening ear from the press, the government or the population. They think we are cajoling and appeasing criminals. They are more than criminals; they are fighting you. The ICIR: If you are to justify the payment of ransom to bandits and then looking at those victims who may not be able to afford it. What do you think should be the way forward? Gumi: The government has left the issue now for the family to raise money and pay ransom for their individuals. But I think what the government needs to do is to put the round figure for everybody to be released. Then sit down with them and tackle the issue. The ICIR: Justifying the payment of ransom? Gumi: Nobody is justifying the payment of ransom but do we have options? You can’t give your enemy your money, but is there any way out? The ICIR: If there’s no way out, would you say the government and the security architecture and even the security agencies have failed? Gumi: Let me give you an example, if you go to Oxford University now, they will be conducting a PhD examination on any subject like mass communication. Okay now in Oxford, a mass communication exam is going on. Me that I’m in Nigeria, can you tell me that I failed the exam? Am I a student? How can you say I failed the exam? What I’m trying to say is no security outfit is designed to tackle this issue. The army is very strong. The army can destroy this town in 15 minutes. The air force can devastate Kaduna if, given the go-ahead. They have that power. The tactics, they have it. But if I give you a hammer to kill a fly in this room, you may end up destroying my furniture and your camera, and you would not get the fly because a hammer is not meant for killing flies. But if I give you a rubber flexible swat which is cheaper than a hammer, you can easily get the fly. So, the question is not the army, is not DSS. These people are isolated in an island or in a forest. The ICIR: Who or what is the problem? Gumi: We don’t have the outfit to deal with them. One is a socioeconomic, political issue, you deal with it largely. The army is to give you the power and backing to do it. When I went there, they thought the government was with me. All of them came, they tried to negotiate, but when I came, and they realised that the government was not with me, they continued their ways. The ICIR: Would you say your hanging up the negotiation is worsening the situation? Gumi: Before, they have an iota of doubt whether there’s a genuine face that can dialogue with them but when they saw a clergyman like me who doesn’t have any interest in politics trying to convince them that this is a bad way of having hope that the government will listen to me but when the government didn’t listen to me, everybody finds his own way. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/exclusive-the-problem-buhari-has-is-that-he-doesnt-listen-gumi/ 2 Shares
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| Politics / Decade After Award, N7.2bn Road Construction Projects In South-east Abandoned by Shehuyinka: 11:47am On Jul 27, 2022 |
THREE multibillion naira road projects awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH) have remained uncompleted 10 years after they were awarded. The projects were approved under the administration of a former president, Goodluck Jonathan. The projects are the Nkporo-Abariba Ohafia, awarded at a contract sum of N2.73 billion; the Abariba-Arochukwu-Ohafia road approved for an award at N2.26 billion; and the Ohafia-Oso road, approved at N2.29 billion, all in Abia State. The contracted firms for the projects are Dutum Construction Limited, Beks Kimse Nigeria Limited, and Uniglobe, respectively. Two of the road projects date back to 2012 while the other was awarded in 2013, But till date, they have not been completed and are not beneficial to rural dwellers who would have largely relied on them for their daily socio-economic activities. The FMWH has distanced itself from awarding all three projects, saying it awarded only two. The two projects it claimed to have awarded are the Abariba-Arochukwu-Ohafia and Ohafia-Oso roads. Findings revealed the projects have already been tagged ‘No Work in Progress’ by the works ministry responsible for its delivery. - Advertisement - On January 24, The ICIR wrote a Freedom of Information request to the FMWH requesting for information on the level of work done on the selected road projects in Abia State, in the South-east region. The response discovered that two of the three road projects – the Nkporo-Abariba-Ohafia road and the Abariba-Arochukwu-Ohafia road were awarded in 2012, while the third, the Ohafia-Oso road, was awarded in 2013. The Ohafia-Oso road work is the only project that has attained about 80 per cent completion, while the two earlier mentioned have not completed 30 per cent. Project neglected since 2018 Findings revealed that the first awarded project, the Nkporo-Abariba Ohafia-road, offered to Dutum Construction Limited was contracted on June 22, 2012. From the awarded sum of N2.73 billion, only N670.58 million was released to the contractor and no additional payment has been paid to date. The project commenced on September 26, 2012, with an initial delivery date set at March 25, 2014. - Advertisement - The completion date was later extended by four years to 2018. Dutum however could not continue with the execution of the project as the government has not approved the contract augmentation based on new realities. The FMWH said “No work progress for the past 4 years as the contractor is awaiting APPROVAL for contract augmentation.” Also, The ICIR attempted to establish the exact reason the project was delayed by visiting the Dutum corporate office at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but there was no response. Since 2018 till date, nothing has been done on the project. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/decade-after-award-n7-2bn-road-construction-projects-in-south-east-abandoned/
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| Politics / Five Crimes Committed By APC Presidential Candidate Tinubu - IRS CI Affidavit by Shehuyinka: 11:49pm On Jul 19, 2022 |
LEGAL website, PlainSite.org on Tuesday in a tweet said traffic to its website experienced a surge after posting files about Bola Tinubu’s drug money forfeiture case files. The website had uploaded dockets of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Tinubu’s drug money forfeiture case files in the United States (US), last week. The files were first uploaded for public view in 1993, until it was recently awash social media. In its tweet, PlainSite.org announced that increase in traffic on its site by visitors were drawn to Tinubu’s money laundering files which eclipsed interest in Elon Musk’s lawsuit. However, The ICIR could not independently verify the claims but checks reveal that it had a total of 63,222 views as of July 19. PlainSite.org is a website that posts court documents and thus makes criminal records on individuals easier to find. The website is run by California-based software developer, Aaron Greenspan. In July 1993, when Tinubu briefly served as a senator, the US government filed a forfeiture lawsuit in Chicago against bank accounts in his name. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/us-legal-website-reports-increased-web-traffic-after-uploading-tinubus-money-laundering-case-file/
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| Politics / After Osun, Opposition Parties Will Go Into 2023 Elections With High Hopes by Shehuyinka: 12:52pm On Jul 19, 2022 |
IN 2018, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate Adegboyega Oyetola needed a re-run, after the main election had been declared inconclusive, to defeat Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer Ademola Adeleke. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/analysis-after-osun-opposition-parties-will-go-into-2023-elections-with-high-hopes/ 4 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics / INEC Officers Lodged In Same Hotel As APC Campaign Council On Election Eve by Shehuyinka: 5:04pm On Jul 16, 2022 |
SENIOR staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were lodged in the same hotel as the APC party chieftains on the eve of the election slated for Saturday, June 16, The ICIR investigation reveals. On Friday, June 15, The ICIR and City Voice reporters sighted Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, both members of the APC National Campaign Council for the Osun State Governorship Election, at Aenon Suites & Hotel located at Femi Adefila Crescent GRA, Osogbo, the state capital. In the same hotel were Professor Kunle Ajayi, the INEC national commissioner for Ogun, Ondo and Osun states; Dr. Bala Bila Chairman, Electoral Committee for Osun State election and several other INEC officials. Many of the staff donned INEC branded jackets. Professor Ajayi and a few senior INEC officials wore red INEC jackets. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/inec-officers-lodged-in-same-hotel-as-apc-campaign-council-on-election-eve/
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| Politics / FACT-CHECK: Is Nigeria Better Today Than Before 2015 As Claimed By Buhari? by Shehuyinka: 1:10pm On Jul 15, 2022 |
President Muhammadu Buhari has claimed that he has performed better than his predecessors, particularly in the areas of security, economy, and anti-corruption. The President in response to Bloomberg’s questions published on June 21, 2022, said that his administration will be leaving Nigeria “in a far better place than he found it. According to him, “We leave Nigeria in a far better place than we found it. Corruption is less hidden for Nigerians feel empowered to report it without fear, while money is returned; terrorists no longer hold any territory in Nigeria, and their leaders are deceased, and vast infrastructure development sets the country on course for sustainable and equitable growth.” “As you are all aware, this administration came to office determined to make an impact in three main areas: Security, building a sustainable economy and fight against corruption. We can say that recent positive developments in these areas have shown that despite the challenges on ground, we can see general improvement in all three areas.” He further said, “In the area of corruption, as you are all aware, I am determined to ensure that we do not have a repeat of what has gone on in previous administrations and we have taken a strong stand against pervasive corruption.” This is not the first time President Buhari will claim that he performed better than his predecessors in office either in the immediate past or even the previous predecessors. Buhari took over from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which had been in power since 1999. Buhari, on June 17, 2022, in Kano, said three priorities of the administration, security, economy and corruption, have received significant attention, with measurable results, following his vision of making Nigeria more peaceful, prosperous and reliable, among nations. The President made the claim during the Passing Out Parade of the Regular Course 4/2016 Cadets of the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil. Noting further that his administration’s new approaches have yielded positive results, he said it is glaring that Nigeria’s ranking has improved on the world Counter-Terrorism global index from 4th to 6th position on the list of the most terrorised nations. On March 13, 2013, he made a similar statement while addressing reporters after observing the Eid-il-Fitri prayers at the State House in Abuja. Also, the President during his nationwide broadcast to Nigerians to mark the nation’s 61st independence in 2021 boasted that no government or administration since 1999, has done what he has done for the country in six years. “No government since 1999 has done what we have done in six years to put Nigeria back on track”, he stated. But how true are President Muhammadu Buhari’s claims? Nigeria has had three democratically-elected presidents since 1999 before Buhari assumed office on May 29, 2015, after defeating incumbent Jonathan in an election held on March 28, 2015. They are Olusegun Obasanjo – 29th May 1999 to 29th May 2007; Umaru Musa Yar’Adua – 29th May 2007 to 5th May 2010; Goodluck Ebele Jonathan – May 6, 2010, to May 29, 2015, and Muhammadu Buhari – May 29, 2015, to date. To find out if there has been a significant impact since Buhari assumed office in 2015 in Nigeria, The ICIR used Data from the World Bank, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, Transparency International, Nigeria Social Violence Project, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project to fact-check Buhari’s claim that Nigeria is better off today than in 2015 in terms of security, corruption and economy. On insecurity… Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) shows that Nigeria has recorded more than 80,000 insecurity-related deaths from 1999 to 2022. The numbers from ACLED show that during former President Obasanjo’s government, 11,141 Nigerians were killed in incidents related to insecurity, while the combined tenures of both the late President Yar’Adua and former President Jonathan recorded 32,694 death. Buhari’s government registered 41,903 insecurity-led deaths since he assumed office in 2015 till date. Meanwhile in terms of incidents related to insecurity from 1999 till June 2022 Nigeria has recorded 17,591 security-related attacks. A breakdown of this still shows that Buhari’s administration recorded the highest at 12,120 attacks while Obasanjo’s is 1,276 and Yar’adua and Jonathan’s administration recorded 4,195 attacks. Data from Social Violence in Nigeria a Project under the auspices of the John Hopkins University Africa programme shows that Nigeria’s most deaths from violence-related before 2009 were from communal/sectarian clashes. But, while we still see a yearly increase in communal/sectarian violence-related deaths, the emergence of Boko Haram (For more on the group, read this factsheet.) and other terrorists, banditry and armed groups have led to a sharp rise in violence across the country. A disaggregation of the numbers from ACLED shows that from 2015 to 2022, the wave of deaths and kidnapping has spread from one region to other parts of the country. Figures released by SBM Intelligence in September 2021 show that at least 1,409 students were recorded to have been kidnapped from their schools, and 16 of the victims have died since the latest wave of the school abduction epidemic. Also, Jihad Analytics, a consultancy company which processes data on global and cyber jihad in a Tweet disclosed that between January and April of this year, Nigeria has had the highest number of attacks by the Islamic State (IS). READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/fact-check-is-nigeria-better-today-than-before-2015-as-claimed-by-buhari/
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| Politics / Key Facts About 2022 Osun Election by Shehuyinka: 7:22pm On Jul 11, 2022 |
INDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be holding the sixth gubernatorial election in Osun State by July 16. The election will feature 15 political parties and candidates, but only five of them are on the frontline. Parties and Candidates They are Akinade Akanmu Ogunbiyi, 59, and his deputy, Jimoh Mukailu Adekunle, 61 of the Accord Party; the incumbent governor Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola, 67, and his deputy Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, 56, of All Progressives Congress (APC); Yusuf Sulaiman Lasun, 61, Adeola Adekunle Atanda, 53, Labour Party (LP); Adeleke Ademola Jackson Nurudeen, 61, and his deputy, Adewusi Kola Adegboyega, 62, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Omigbodun Oyegoke Akinrinola, 58, and his deputy Oni Mukaila Adesoye, 66, Social Democratic Party (SDP). All the parties and candidates are expected to end political campaigns by Thursday, July 14. Senatorial districts and LGAs in Osun There are three senatorial districts, 30 local government areas, 332 wards and 3,763 polling units in Osun State. Osun State has the second largest number of LGAs in the South West after Oyo State (34 LGAs). Each senatorial district comprises ten local government areas. Osun West senatorial district consists of Aiyedaade, Aiyedire, Ede North and South, Ejigbo, Egbedore, Irewole, Isokan, Iwo and Ola-Oluwa. Osun Central senatorial district consists of Boripe, Boluwaduro, Ifedayo, Ifelodun, Ila, Irepodun, Odo-Otin, Olorunda, Orolu and Osogbo, while Osun East senatorial district consists of Atakumosa East and West, Ife Central, East, North and South, Ilesa East and West, Obokun and Oriade Local Government Areas. Registered Voters As of June 2022, the total number of registered voters is 1, 955, 657 as against 1,600,000 registered voters in the last election. The uncollected PVCs stand at 377,807 by June. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/key-facts-about-2022-osun-election/ 1 Like 1 Share
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| Politics / FCT Residents Express Frustration, Allege Bribery At PVC Registration Centres by Shehuyinka: 3:48pm On Jul 08, 2022 |
RESIDENTS of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed frustration over the registration process for the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) at some centres.https://www.icirnigeria.org/fct-residents-express-frustration-allege-bribery-at-pvc-registration-centres/ 1 Like
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| Health / [EXCLUSIVE] Covid-19: Over N22.58 Billion Shared Among 21 Teaching Hospitals by Shehuyinka: 1:42pm On Jul 08, 2022 |
FINDINGS by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR) have revealed that at least 21 Federal Teaching Hospitals under the Federal Ministry of Health got about N22.58 billion at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is coming following doubts and questions surrounding the actual sum offered to the federal teaching institutions to alleviate the impacts of the global outbreak on the Nigerian citizens. Some argued that N950 million was the amount disbursed to each teaching hospital. Others claimed N650 million. Details of the exact sum released to each benefitting health institution have not been in the public space, including the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) portal. The health ministry did not respond to FOI written to it to seek the correct information on the payments. The secrecy behind the actual disbursement has, thus, been an issue of public discussion until this unveiling. The monetary provision was an intervention to make available Molecular Laboratory Equipment, equipping 10-bedded Intensive Care Units (ICUs), equipping the Isolation Treatment Centres, and the cost to procure Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) in the 21 benefitting hospitals. Also, part of the lump sum was meant to install oxygen plants and repair the oxygen plants and additional expenses for the ICU. But a document with the reference number FD/OAGF/DDE/184/T/I/DF sourced through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation pegged the total releases from the COVID-19 funds at N22,584,881,798.03. The director of funds at the OAGF, Sabo Mohammed, signed the document on July 1, on behalf of the accountant general of the federation. He listed the beneficiaries: University College Hospital, Ibadan, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital and the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. Others are Jos University Teaching Hospital, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital and Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi. The last category in the group is the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching, Bauchi, Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, Federal Teaching Hospital Ido Ekiti, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo. These implied beyond regular budgetary allocations, the hospitals were supported through financial interventions during the COVID-19 outbreak to discharge their duties. Breakdown of N22.58 billion All the teaching hospitals listed above received an equal sum of N1, 078, 374, 400. 72 each. As earlier mentioned, the money was to procure equipment, PPEs and the likes. This excludes the university of port Harcourt teaching hospital, which got a much lesser sum of N949, 233, 268.72. A simple breakdown of the N1.07 billion and N949.23 million highlighted above and disbursed equally to the 21 teaching hospitals respectively revealed that N348.84 million was allocated to procure molecular laboratory equipment across each teaching hospital while N224.49 million was released for 10-bedded ICUs in the 21 hospitals, N100 million to equip each isolation centre, and N149.75 to procure PPE across the benefitting hospitals; N129.14 million was also released to each of the 21 hospitals to install oxygen plants and another N129.14 million for the ICU. According to the document, only the university of port Harcourt teaching hospital did not receive the second ICU payment of N129.14 million. Nevertheless, independent findings by The ICIR showed that while a significant number of the projects were executed, the workforce to handle the equipment and utilise the other interventions have remained a considerable challenge due to the brain drain in the health sector. These were established in different federal hospitals across the country during field visits by The ICIR. Other releases to teaching hospitals beyond CACOVID READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/exclusive-covid-19-over-n22-58-billion-shared-among-21-teaching-hospitals/
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| Foreign Affairs / Five Ways Nigerians Can Avoid Deportation From The UK by Shehuyinka: 5:09pm On Jul 03, 2022 |
THE United Kingdom’s (UK)) post-study visa route, which allows graduates to stay in the UK for at least two years after completing an academic programme in the country, has become the top choice for many Nigerians seeking greener pastures abroad. A new Points-Based Immigration System was also introduced, effective from January 1, 2021, which allows employers to recruit people to work in the UK in a specific job in an eligible skilled occupation. With the Graduate Route, students won’t require a job offer to be eligible for the visa, which also applies to those who choose to be self-employed in the UK after graduation. Students can study part-time while working, enrol in language courses, or any other study options that do not require sponsorship under the student route. As a result, in 2021, the number of Nigerians who received Sponsored Study grants grew to 36,783 from 8, 229 and 7, 860 in 2020 and 2019 respectively, placing Nigeria in the third place among top five nations to benefit from the programme last year. However, the UK recently signed a new migration agreement with Nigeria that will witness a mass deportation of “dangerous” migrants. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/five-ways-nigerians-can-avoid-deportation-from-the-uk/
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| Politics / Democracy Day Speech: Buhari Makes False Claim About Primary Elections by Shehuyinka: 4:49pm On Jul 03, 2022 |
IN his nationwide broadcast on Sunday, 12th of June 2022 in commemoration of the 2022 Democracy Day, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari said recent primary elections conducted by political parties in the country for the 2023 general elections were peaceful and orderly. In his speech live-streamed on Channels TV, Buhari noted that he arrived at the conclusion having followed the primary elections from the state level to the presidential level. “Recently, all registered political parties conducted primaries to select their candidates for the 2023 general elections. IN his nationwide broadcast on Sunday, 12th of June 2022 in commemoration of the 2022 Democracy Day, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari said recent primary elections conducted by political parties in the country for the 2023 general elections were peaceful and orderly. In his speech live-streamed on Channels TV, Buhari noted that he arrived at the conclusion having followed the primary elections from the state level to the presidential level. “Recently, all registered political parties conducted primaries to select their candidates for the 2023 general elections. “These primaries were peaceful and orderly. Those who won were magnanimous in their victories,” Buhari said. He added: “I followed the party primaries closely from the state level to the Presidential level. I was very impressed to see across all the political parties that most candidates ran issued-based campaigns. The language and tone throughout were on the whole measured and controlled.” Political parties in Nigeria conducted their primary elections recently to select their flagbearers for the forthcoming 2023 general election following the directive of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conclude the processes by June 9, 2022. The 2022 Democracy Day is Buhari’s last as the nation’s president as he leaves office on May 29, 2023. But how true is Buhari’s claim? Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the president’s claim that primary elections of political parties at all levels were peaceful and orderly is MOSTLY FALSE. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/democracy-day-speech-buhari-makes-false-claim-about-primary-elections/
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| Politics / INEC Denies Operating Registration Centres In Niger Republic by Shehuyinka: 1:54pm On Jul 02, 2022 |
THE Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Rotimi Oyekanmi has denied reports that the commission is operating polling units in Niger Republic.https://www.icirnigeria.org/inec-denies-operating-registration-centres-in-niger-republic/ 2 Likes 1 Share
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| Crime / Owo Massacre: Report Accuses FG Of Shielding Herdsmen By Blaming Terrorists by Shehuyinka: 2:16pm On Jul 01, 2022 |
THE Nigerian government deliberately blamed the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) for last month’s terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, in a bid to shield networks of politically powerful herdsmen believed to be behind the incident, according to a report by Knoxville News Sentinel. “Nigerian officials blamed the St. Francis attack on the Islamic State West Africa Province, which has ties to the terrorist group Boko Haram, while avoiding references to networks of politically powerful Fulani herdsmen,” the report said. A senior fellow at the Religious Freedom Institute in Washington DC, Stephen Rasche, said in the report that Nigerian Christians no longer trust their own government or the leaders of the United States and the European Union to speak against the killings targeted at them. The ICIR had reported how gunmen invaded and killed more than 38 people, including women and children and left more than 50 persons with various degrees of gunshot injuries during the attack on the church on June 5. The incident attracted global condemnation with the Catholic Church calling for the arrest of the perpetrators. Rasche noted that the government has not taken action to check attacks on Christians by herdsmen and terrorists groups across the country. “These types of murders are taking place weekly, almost daily, in Nigeria — murders of innocent Christians, being gunned down, slaughtered indiscriminately, throughout the north and, increasingly, into the central part of Nigeria and into the south,” he said. READS MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/owo-massacre-report-accuses-fg-of-shielding-herdsmen-by-blaming-terrorists/
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| Crime / Insecurity: 289 Killed In Worship Centres Within 18 Months Across Nigeria by Shehuyinka: 12:17pm On Jul 01, 2022 |
THE rate of attack on worship centres leading to death has again been brought to the fore with the recent attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo state, on June 5, 2022. No fewer than 40 worshipers died in the attack. The data suggest that two hundred and eighty-nine (289) people have died in Nigeria due to attacks on worship centres in the last eighteen months. The data obtained from the Council on Foreign Relations' Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) – a website that tracks violent incidents related to political, economic, and social grievances directed at the state or other affiliated groups – covers January 2021 to June 20, 2022. Seventy-seven (77) attacks on worship places within this period resulted in 289 fatalities. The data shows 12 attacks on mosques and 65 incidents on Churches across the country. During this period, 45 people were killed in attacks on Mosques within the country, while 244 were killed in attacks on churches nationwide. For instance, in a single incidence on June,5,2022, about 40 people were killed when suspected bandits attacked Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state. Also, on February 3, 2022, gunmen stormed a church in Ihiala, Anambra state killing a couple and their daughter. In another incident, Some gunmen on Sunday, October 31, 2021, invaded the Baptist Church, Kakau Daji, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing two while scores were abducted. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/insecurity-289-killed-in-worship-centres-within-18-months-across-nigeria/
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| Health / Illegal Mining Fuels Poverty, River Pollution, Sacred Grove Desecration In Osun by Shehuyinka: 6:40pm On Jun 25, 2022 |
He first observed the previously colourless river turning brown in July 2019 while catnapping at the riverbank after fishing for the day. Prior to his discovery, Razaq Femi made at least N5,000 in daily returns from fishing along the coast of the river. But by November 2019, when the colour change had come to stay, he noticed the fish starting to dwindle, and his income took a tumble. Femi says he thought it was a natural occurrence. By April 2020 when most parts of the world were on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the water, according to Femi, had completely turned brown. At that point, the 37-year-old said his fellow fishermen began to ask questions and were ultimately able to trace the contamination to the mining activities in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state. The fishermen, over 500 of them, were not sure of what was being mined. What was clear to them was their progressively dwindling income, and after it nosedived to N200 in 2022, many abandoned Asejire in search of other rivers to make ends meet. But not Femi; he still visits occasionally in the hope that things might change while his wife’s income keeps the family running. “My wife has been the one feeding me and the children. The income is now so low,” he said, evidently rattled but resigned to fate. “I can spend hours here without catching a single fish a whole day. Before your arrival, I was just trying to see if the net had caught some fish. Nothing is inside. We need help over this river.” Since the early 1950s, gold mining operations have been a permanent fixture in Osun state, although the majority of the activity has been illegal. The quest for gold continuously attracts commercial and artisanal miners, resulting in an influx of mining workers and labourers, predominantly from northern Nigeria. And as the gold particles are sieved away from the ore, the impact is felt by the Asejire dam which supplies drinking water to some parts of Oyo and communities surrounding the Osun river. FOLLOWING THE WATER Built in the late 1960s, the Asejire dam sits on the Osun river, about 30 kilometres east of Ibadan, Oyo state. The river borders Osun and Oyo. Using Google Earth’s satellite imagery, and with the aid of a drone, TheCable was able to trace the source of the pollution to Ilesa communities (otherwise called Ijesha) in Osun. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/investigation-how-illegal-mining-fuels-poverty-river-pollution-sacred-grove-desecration-in-osun/
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| Business / Tier-1 Banks Lend MSMES N1.70trn In 12 Months by Shehuyinka: 1:38pm On Jun 25, 2022 |
IN ONE year, Nigerian tier one banks have lent a sum total of N1.70 trillion to customers in small businesses across various sectors. This is according to the analysis of the banks’ financial accounts published on the Nigerian exchange group (NGX) over one year, between 2020 and 2021, as obtained by The ICIR. The tier one banks surveyed are First Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa (UBA), and Access Holdings Plc. They are commonly known as the FUGAZ. The ICIR checks revealed that these banks lent to customers across sectors in agriculture, construction, education, finance and insurance, general commerce, government, information and communication, manufacturing, basic metal products, oil and gas, transportation and storage, power and energy and cement, among others. First Bank Plc paid out N222 billion as loans for 2021, up from N176.41bn in 2020, while UBA Plc’s loans for the period was N2.68trn, as against N2.55bn it paid in 2020. GTCO’s loans grew to N31.19bn in 2021, from N28.55bn in 2020; Access Holdings reported the sum of N4.31trn in 2021 as loans to small businesses, compared to N3.36trn in the corresponding period of 2020; and Zenith Bank Plc recorded N3.50trn worth of gross loans in 2021, up from N2.91trn in 2020. All of these culminated in a total of N10.74trn worth of disbursed loans to many sectors in 2021, compared to N9.04trn in 2020, a difference of N1.7trn, representing a rise of 18.79 per cent. Borrowers will have to be paying more on their loans this year. Last month, the Central Bank on Nigeria (CBN) raised the benchmark interest rate from 11.5 per cent to 13.5 per cent at its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, the first time in two years it would be doing so, having pursued an expansionary monetary policy in the last 24 months. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/tier-1-banks-lend-msmes-n1-70trn-in-12-months/
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| Health / How JUTH Ignored Procurement Guidelines Over N853 Million COVID-19 Fund by Shehuyinka: 1:28pm On Jun 25, 2022 |
TWO years after receiving N853 million from the COVID-19 Intervention Fund to purchase medical equipment to boost its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) has yet to upload details of what it procured with the fund to the government's website, according to practice. Failure to upload the details, otherwise known as the procurement plan, conflicts with the government's regulations and undermines its transparency initiatives for governance. The details include what the hospital procured with the money, the contractor(s) that made the procurement(s), the date the hospital took delivery of the items, and other means through which it spent the money. Apart from shrouding the procurement plan in secrecy, the action further dents the facility, whose former chief medical director (CMD), Edmund Banwat, had a raging battle with the hospital's governing board after he allegedly awarded a major contract without following due process. Banwat, a professor, was in charge of the hospital when the government released the COVID-19 fund. His eight-year tenure ended in December 2021, and an acting CMD, Pokop Bupwatda, a doctor, took over after him. The ICIR reports that in addition to the N853 million COVID-19 Intervention Fund received by JUTH, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) supported the facility with N49 million from its share of the fund. Findings showed that the hospitals procured many devices with the funds. But there were no labels to differentiate them from those purchased with appropriation funds, as seen in other hospitals. JUTH was among the beneficiaries of nearly N40 billion the government realised through the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) at the pandemic’s peak in 2020. CACOVID comprised a group of individuals and corporate organisations that raised funds to support the Nigerian government to improve the nation’s health infrastructures and provide other logistics for fighting the coronavirus pandemic. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/how-juth-ignored-procurement-guidelines-over-n853-million-covid-19-fund/
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| Crime / Data: How Many Mass School Shootings Have Taken Place In U.S. Since 1999? by Shehuyinka: 1:09pm On Jun 25, 2022 |
AN 18-year-old gunman, on May 24, 2022, stormed Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, fatally shooting 19 children and two teachers, before being shot dead by police, casting a spotlight on cases of shootings in schools, teenage shooters and gun violence in the United States. Twenty-three years before the Robb Elementary School shooting, There was a shooting in what is now referred to as the Columbine High School massacre where an 18 and 17-year-old gunman murdered 13 people, – 12 students and one teacher. It was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history at that time. The Uvalde massacre is the latest in a years-long series of mass shootings in the U.S., which according to a tally by the Washington Post, is the second deadliest U.S. school shootings in 23 years after the 2013 Sandy Hook Elementary school shootings that led to 26 killed and two injured people. The country has witnessed a depressing figure of 338 shootings between 1999 and 2022, with at least 185 children, educators and other people killed in assaults and another 369 injured. The Washington Post, which has spent years tracking school shootings since the Columbine High massacre in 1999, stated that more than 311,000 children at 331 schools had been exposed to gun violence during school hours. The Washington Post said it pieced together its numbers from news articles, open-source databases, law enforcement reports and calls to schools and police departments because at the time the U.S. government was not tracking school shootings. However, in 2018 Homeland security started tracking, with datasets dating back to 1970. The ICIR looks at some cases of mass shootings at elementary, middle and high schools that have resulted in at least four fatalities since 1999. In the data collated by Washington Post, 338 shooting incidents have been recorded under the years in review. In contrast, out of the provided tally, teenagers (age 13 to 19) were recorded to have carried out the highest number of shootings at 183 from 253 age recorded incidents, excluding 86 cases where the shooter’s age is unknown. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/data-how-many-mass-school-shootings-have-taken-place-in-u-s-since-1999/
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| Politics / Ekiti Teachers Collect N3000 Bribe To Vote APC Candidate by Shehuyinka: 6:55pm On Jun 16, 2022 |
Teachers invited from the 16 local government areas in Ekiti State were offered N3000 by the representative of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate to vote on Saturday. The teachers who donned the campaign vest and caps of the APC flagbearer, Biodun Oyebanji, gathered by 10:00 am at the pavilion near the government house, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. Some of them wore orange colour tee shirts emblazoned with ‘EKSU Teacher Vanguard’, others wore blue and white tee shirts with the inscription ‘Biodun Oyebanji for Governor’, while some others wore face caps written “Ekiti Teachers for BAO”. The ICIR witnessed how the teachers danced to local music and patiently waited for the NUT official who brought money to the pavilion to share with them. He came in a white Mercedes Benz with plate number KJA223BF. READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/ekiti-teachers-collect-n3000-to-vote-apc-candidate/
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| Politics / Poster War In Ado-Ekiti As Candidates Engage In Campaign Two Days To Election by Shehuyinka: 2:54pm On Jun 16, 2022 |
A FEW days before the Ekiti election, the competition is fierce among the contestants as each tries to outdo one another in an outdoor promotional campaign.https://www.icirnigeria.org/poster-war-in-ado-ekiti-as-candidates-engage-in-final-campaign-two-days-to-election/ 1 Like
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